A PAIR of politicians have told how they rugby tackled a "crook" to the ground in a coalition resembling crime-fighting duo Batman and Robin.

Colchester's Tory MP Will Quince, 32, and Lib Dem borough councillor Mike Hogg, 67, chased down the alleged thief after they heard suspicious sounds coming from a resident's garden.

The quick-thinking crime fighters said they restrained him until armed police arrived and he was arrested in broad daylight on Friday.

Dad-of-one Mr Quince, who is just five weeks into the job, said: "I did say in my manifesto I wanted to tackle crime and anti-social behaviour but maybe not as close as that.

"If Mike and I weren't both there we wouldn't have been able to do what we did. It was coalition police work.

"Mike is twice my age and it was a good tackle. It was a good job - we are like the Batman and Robin of Colchester.

"Adrenaline takes over but you don't know if he had a knife. I did say to him as he was on the floor 'you have no idea how upset the family will be."

The drama unfolded while the politicians were having a meeting at the Oaktree centre in Harwich Road.

Mr Quince said: "Mike wanted to show me around and talk to me about security issues and parking.

"We were looking around the garden and heard some glass smash, then a bang and then an alarm going off.

"I said to him 'that doesn't sound right and we had better look at it."

Mr Hogg, councillor for St Anne's ward for 29 years, walked towards the back of the house, which backs onto the centre, while Mr Quince investigated round the front.

The home owners did not seem to be around so the pair then opened the side gate leading into its back garden.

Mr Quince said: "As we opened the gate, a head, quickly followed by a body, crawled out of the bottom of the back door which had been smashed in.

"I shouted 'oi stop!' but that didn't work and Mike started to run after him.

"The crook got to the middle of the garden, Mike rugby tackled him to the ground. Mike had him around his right arm and torso and I had him in my left arm in an arm lock.

"I put my weight on his legs and stopped him kicking me off," said 6ft tall Mr Quince.

Mr Quince's assistant, who all the while had been alongside him, dialled 999 and within minutes police arrived.

"I think armed police turned up. They cuffed him and that was that," the MP said.

Mr Hogg, who himself was a victim of a raid at his St John's Road home in 2012, said: "I was taking on a young lad - I am fairly fit for my age but it's not every day you want to take on someone who is half your age."

The former Mayor - who hasn't played rubgy since his school days - said the home owners were a young couple and he visited them on Saturday to offer his support.

"I know how they are going to be feeling," the 5ft 11ins grandad-of-three added.

Nothing was taken from the property.

The victims were too upset speak about the incident.

An Essex Police spokesman said: "Police have charged a man with burglary after they were called to Harwich Road, Colchester, on Friday following reports of a man who had been stopped by members of the public after a house had been broken into.

"Officers went to the location and arrested a 25-year-old man from Colchester on suspicion of attempted burglary.

"He was taken to Colchester Police Station for interview and subsequently charged with an offence of burglary.

"Aaron Barnham, of Avon Way, Colchester, was remanded in custody to appear before Chelmsford Magistrates on Saturday."

*Barnham did not enter a plea at court and has been remanded in custody to reappear at that court on June 30.